Graphic photos (warning) of what appears to be Ambassador Stevens after the attack were released by AFP.

President Obama released a statement:

I strongly condemn the outrageous attack on our diplomatic facility in Benghazi, which took the lives of four Americans, including Ambassador Chris Stevens. Right now, the American people have the families of those we lost in our thoughts and prayers. They exemplified America's commitment to freedom, justice, and partnership with nations and people around the globe, and stand in stark contrast to those who callously took their lives.

I have directed my Administration to provide all necessary resources to support the security of our personnel in Libya, and to increase security at our diplomatic posts around the globe. While the United States rejects efforts to denigrate the religious beliefs of others, we must all unequivocally oppose the kind of senseless violence that took the lives of these public servants.

On a personal note, Chris was a courageous and exemplary representative of the United States. Throughout the Libyan revolution, he selflessly served our country and the Libyan people at our mission in Benghazi. As Ambassador in Tripoli, he has supported Libya's transition to democracy. His legacy will endure wherever human beings reach for liberty and justice. I am profoundly grateful for his service to my Administration, and deeply saddened by this loss.

The brave Americans we lost represent the extraordinary service and sacrifices that our civilians make every day around the globe. As we stand united with their families, let us now redouble our own efforts to carry their work forward.

As did Secretary of State Clinton:

I condemn in the strongest terms the attack on our mission in Benghazi today. As we work to secure our personnel and facilities, we have confirmed that one of our State Department officers was killed. We are heartbroken by this terrible loss. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and those who have suffered in this attack.

This evening, I called Libyan President Magariaf to coordinate additional support to protect Americans in Libya. President Magariaf expressed his condemnation and condolences and pledged his government's full cooperation.

Some have sought to justify this vicious behavior as a response to inflammatory material posted on the Internet. The United States deplores any intentional effort to denigrate the religious beliefs of others. Our commitment to religious tolerance goes back to the very beginning of our nation. But let me be clear: There is never any justification for violent acts of this kind.

In light of the events of today, the United States government is working with partner countries around the world to protect our personnel, our missions, and American citizens worldwide.

“I'm outraged by the attacks on American diplomatic missions in Libya and Egypt and by the death of an American consulate worker in Benghazi," said Romney in the statement, which the campaign initially embargoed for midnight, which was when the 9/11 anniversary would have ended, and was sent out a short time ago (this was one of the sharper statements of the day, although as I noted earlier, the anniversary was hardly devoid of politics by both Democrats and the Obama campaign, and Republicans, before this).

"It's disgraceful that the Obama Administration's first response was not to condemn attacks on our diplomatic missions, but to sympathize with those who waged the attacks,” Romney added.

“We are shocked that, at a time when the United States of America is confronting the tragic death of one of our diplomatic officers in Libya, Governor Romney would choose to launch a political attack.”

Comments

Carter. Reagan. 1980.
Hope this doesn't upset his Letterman gig. We already know it was more important than meeting with Bibi.

Posted by: MarkUs | Sep 12, 2012 9:49:00 AM

That @$$hole, Terry Jones, should be brought up on murder charges. That low-life, evangelical provocateur should be held responsible for the death of the Ambassador and other American who gets killed because of this.

I do not exonerate the idiotic Muslims who have done the killing. It probably shows just how insane and degenerate Muslim fundamentalists are, just like their evangelical counterparts.

But Terry Jones KNEW and HAS ALWAYS KNOWN the danger of his deliberate actions to provoke Muslims. He is directly responsible for those murders. He willfully incited what essentially was a Muslim lynching of the Ambassador.

That SOB Jones should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of U.S. law for hate speech, defamation, and inciting violence.

Posted by: jamal49 | Sep 12, 2012 9:50:50 AM

The Romney response shows just how low this Willard creep will stoop to try to discredit the President. Romney deserves our scorn, not our votes. I am appalled.

Posted by: Alex Parrish | Sep 12, 2012 9:56:54 AM

Mitt is stupid on this. He shouldn't be politicizing this horrible event. He's showing that tact isn't his strong point. Mitt needs to pull his head in and apologize on this particular faux pas.

Posted by: jason | Sep 12, 2012 10:00:05 AM

Strong argument for atheism here.

Tragic and idiotic behavior all around.

Posted by: Cycledoc | Sep 12, 2012 10:08:55 AM

Romney's "sympathize with those who waged the attacks". Where does that come from? It was not in Obama's statement. It doesn't even make sense.

Posted by: simon | Sep 12, 2012 10:09:52 AM

Romney is an idiot. Un fnnnn believable.

One more reason (as if we really needed it) to make sure this guy is not elected and further evidence to remind everyone you know to get out and vote for Obama.

OBAMA / Biden 2012

Posted by: Will | Sep 12, 2012 10:17:53 AM

Religion poisons everything.

Posted by: EO | Sep 12, 2012 10:21:56 AM

Terry Jones has blood on his hands. LITERALLY! The people responsible for these murders should be brought up on charges, but Jones did this 'movie' knowing FULL WELL that it would incite the Muslim fundamentalists to bloody riot. HE KNEW THIS WOULD HAPPEN AND DID IT ANYWAY!!

I am so pissed about this.

Oh and Romney - do the letters 'F-O' mean anything to you? They should!

Posted by: Oz in OK | Sep 12, 2012 10:22:23 AM

The film was created by a man in Calif. who says he is an Israeli Jew and the film was paid for by some 100 Jews. It was translated into Arabic by a anti-Muslim Coptic Egyptian and promoted by a radical Christian. Leading to protests by radical Islamic fundamentalists who solve things through murder.

Now the Romney camp tries to use these deaths to win political points. Sad day for America and humanity

Posted by: Joey | Sep 12, 2012 10:38:14 AM

Romney's a pig. Full stop. Is there not an ounce of decency left in the GOP? Please let them lose this election and finally send the religious right to the dustbin of American history.

Posted by: Michaelandfred | Sep 12, 2012 10:42:06 AM

You'd think the Pastor Terry Jones would have his hands full dealing with all the child molestation, rape and sexual misconduct of his own brand of Christian religious leaders, not to mention the hate and violence his group is becoming more known for than anything to do with their namesake.

Posted by: dixichuk | Sep 12, 2012 10:45:13 AM

This wanton savagery cannot continue. For the sake of humanity, all religions must be destroyed. This is yet more proof of that.

Posted by: Aulton | Sep 12, 2012 10:50:05 AM

Terry Jones will probably follow the example of Scott Lively of Defend the Family International who denied that his leading role in a 2009 anti-gay conference in Uganda could possibly have had anything to do with that country's Kill-the-gays legislation of 2009 and subsequent murders of LGBT activists.

Posted by: Diogenes Arktos | Sep 12, 2012 10:50:15 AM

I get it when fringe nutbags spew their anti-Obama hatred in a pitiful attempt to blame him for everything wrong in the world or pin him as sympathetic to extremist causes, but when this absolute, tin-foil nonsense comes from people like Mitt Romney and Reince Priebus, all decency, all sense, all critical thinking is void from the entire Republican party, unless people are willing to call them out on this absolute garbage and pathetic exploitations of American lives lost.

Posted by: kp05 | Sep 12, 2012 10:51:28 AM

So if people blame Dharun Ravi for Tylers suicide can we blame Terry Jones for the deaths here?

Posted by: Aki | Sep 12, 2012 10:52:19 AM

Sad.
About Romney, how low can a politician go, we'll find out, he made such a low remarks.

Posted by: Matt26 | Sep 12, 2012 10:55:53 AM

Clearly Romney failed his basic international relations courses in University. Nobody wants to go into Libya it is a black hole with too much money and too much effort for little and short lived return in the end... what idiotic things to say...

Posted by: Patrick | Sep 12, 2012 11:00:09 AM

' JAMAL$( :

I fully endorse everything you have said.
Terry Jones is a media whore.....anything for a few seconds of publicity.

Muslims do not need a movie to inspire them to hate Western/American culture and its feminist values.

And it is not just "extremists" who hate that culture; it is the average man (and yes, even woman) on the street.

They can see the kind of social breakdown and dysfunction that feminism has wrought in the West and have no desire for their own societies to be infected by it.

Understandably so.

And if America continues to try to force feminism down their throats, it will continue to be hated for it and will pay the price for doing so, this being an example of that.

Posted by: Rick | Sep 12, 2012 11:05:31 AM

Ah Rick- you never cease to amaze me no matter what the topic. And please do not take this as a compliment!

Posted by: Frank | Sep 12, 2012 11:12:50 AM

Jamal49/Others:

Want to charge Terry Jones? Fine. But not until we charge everyone here who says that religion must be destroyed, or that the AFA is a hate group. Works both ways, you know.

In this country, we punish people who do bad things, not the people who said something that the bad actors disagreed with. To do otherwise is to institute the "heckler's veto," by which all anyone has to do to suppress speech is commit a crime and blame it on the speech that they didn't like. It's not workable.

Posted by: Jack | Sep 12, 2012 11:39:36 AM

I believe ol' Mittens may have ended his political career here.
And Rick, do everyone a favor and STFU.

Posted by: Butch | Sep 12, 2012 12:34:55 PM

@Markus. Maybe the President is trying to send a not-so-subtle message that he's not willing to jump when a foreign head of state demands it. Maybe the POTUS doesn't appreciate "Bibi"(such a cutesy name for an ugly man) trying to dictate US foreign policy by trying to circumvent the Administration by running to the GOP in Congress and the press.

Newsflash: the United States' foreign policy is meant to serve the United States. It's not there to be bent by a right-wing self-sabotaging foreign leader who always has his hands out for more of our foreign aid.